Statement of Chicago's Cardinal George Regarding Supreme Court Decisions on Marriage

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What I think is likely to happen is that anyone who does not accept gay marriage will have his freedom taken from him. Catholic institutions which do not accept gay marriage will be put out of business or marginalized, charged with hate speech, or forced to pay heavy fines for exercising their rights of conscience. Businesses which do not wish to take any part in gay marriage will be sued either civilly or criminally. Speaking about simple Christian morals will be prosecuted as hate speech. Yes, I think that gay marriage will take away our freedoms. The danger is real and increasing.
WOW … and civil rights…tell me how you feel…imagine blacks getting the same jobs as whites…how will we survive ??? Imagine an educated black man because he went to a well established, but white college…I tremble at the thought.
And heaven forbid…women voting…talk about the world ending. Cotton never gonna get plucked mastsir, if no slaves is around.
 
That would contradict God’s commandment for us to be fruitful and multiply. There is no solid evidence that anyone is born with homosexual attraction. And if we think about it, sexual attraction doesn’t even normally develop until puberty.

Although some may have to struggle with same-sex attraction for the rest of their life some who once had same-sex attraction have gotten over it. For some it is a phase they go through. And there’s strong evidence that homosexual attraction can be a result of getting molested by someone of the same sex as a child as the following study shows:

“In research with 942 nonclinical adult participants, gay men and lesbian women reported a significantly higher rate of childhood molestation than did heterosexual men and women. Forty-six percent of the homosexual men in contrast to 7% of the heterosexual men reported homosexual molestation. Twenty-two percent of lesbian women in contrast to 1% of heterosexual women reported homosexual molestation. This research is apparently the first survey that has reported substantial homosexual molestation of girls. Suggestions for future research were offered.” - California School of Professional Psychology

The average homosexual is statistically more promiscuous than the average heterosexual, and this, combined with the fact that anal sex is high risk, unnatural, unhealthy, and filthy, could account for why a much larger proportion of the “gay” community has HIV/AIDS and other STD’s.

AIDS Timeline:

“1981 -CDC reports first cases of rare pneumonia in young gay men – later determined to be AIDS-related – in June 5 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). This marks the official beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.”

“Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) represent approximately 2% of the US population, yet are the population most severely affected by HIV. In 2010, MSM accounted for 63% of all new HIV infections” – CDC

“Given the starkness and the enduring nature of the disparate impact on gay and bisexual men, it is important to significantly reprioritize resources and attention on this community. The United States cannot reduce the number of HIV infections nationally without better addressing HIV among gay and bisexual men…Even though gay and bisexual men comprise only two percent of the U.S. population (4 percent of men)” – Obama (bold emphasis given in Obama’s 2010 Whitehouse report)

“Disparities in HIV infection also exist between gay and bisexual men and heterosexual populations. Recently, the CDC announced that gay and bisexual men in the United States are 44 to 86 times more likely to become infected with HIV than heterosexual men, and 40 to 77 times more likely to become infected than women.” – Obama

“Gay and bisexual men comprise the majority of people with HIV who have died in the United States.” - Obama

Homosexuals rejected marriage, and now they want their relationship to be considered the same as the very thing they reject.

If they really believe that SSM is the same as marriage between one man and one woman why are they against marrying the opposite sex?

It makes zero sense.

Sources:
CDC HIV/AIDS Global Epidemic Timeline
CDC - CDC Global HIV/AIDS Milestones - Global HIV/AIDS at CDC - Global HIV/AIDS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
President Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the the the United States 2010 White House Report
WebMD
California School of Professional Psychology
NO Argument with any of it,just want to have the freedom to choose,let freedom ring and let the church preach the word of God. I do not favor Gay marriage…so all the stats in the world do not matter,it is about freedom of choice.
Drinking, smoking, even eating is dangerous to the health of a person and kills more that aids in this country.
I do not want a government to make these decision for us…rather morals and values found in a practicing religious person. Please remember we are not talking as if tomorrow EVERYONE gets to choose male or female as a mate…people are born with their tendencies…a small percentage of the population. These are the people have values and worth as well…and if morality educated would accept God’s plan in this world in achieving the eternal next.But Don’t let government dictate our life styles…that is God’s design
 
What I think is likely to happen is that anyone who does not accept gay marriage will have his freedom taken from him. Catholic institutions which do not accept gay marriage will be put out of business or marginalized, charged with hate speech, or forced to pay heavy fines for exercising their rights of conscience. Businesses which do not wish to take any part in gay marriage will be sued either civilly or criminally. Speaking about simple Christian morals will be prosecuted as hate speech. Yes, I think that gay marriage will take away our freedoms. The danger is real and increasing.
If that is your reasoning and if I agreed with you…I be 100% on your side. If you are fearful that as a result of giving some other group freedom, takes away from others freedoms…well then your issue is well taken. Wish that was your thoughts before…save me a lot of typing.
Seriously…I see what you say as a real issue…but can we really stop freedom for freedoms sake??
With freedom comes responsibility…I would hope this is never taking away from us.
 
WOW … and civil rights…tell me how you feel…imagine blacks getting the same jobs as whites…how will we survive ??? Imagine an educated black man because he went to a well established, but white college…I tremble at the thought.
And heaven forbid…women voting…talk about the world ending. Cotton never gonna get plucked mastsir, if no slaves is around.
Because having a black man elected twice as president is a sure sign that America is racist against blacks. :rolleyes:
 
Yes please, and at the republican convention as well. Religion and politics do not make good bedfellows. Keep them separate.
Definitely. This shouldn’t be a political issue. Why they are always making it to be so is what I don’t understand.
 
Yes please, and at the republican convention as well. Religion and politics do not make good bedfellows. Keep them separate.
Definitely. This shouldn’t be a political issue. Why they are always making it to be so is what I don’t understand.
Unless you are a hermit living alone on an island everything in life is a political issue. Politics is how society is governed and affects the laws which we all are affected by. The opinion that religion should be kept out of politics is an atheist point of view and one that is foreign to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
 
So many say, “You can’t legislate morality…” Really? It’s morally wrong to kill, steal, assault. If we subjectively define morality, why would we need those laws?
 
Definitely. This shouldn’t be a political issue. Why they are always making it to be so is what I don’t understand.
Politicians aren’t people?

“The present Considerations are also intended to give direction to Catholic politicians by indicating the approaches to proposed legislation in this area which would be consistent with Christian conscience.(2) Since this question relates to the natural moral law, the arguments that follow are addressed not only to those who believe in Christ, but to all persons committed to promoting and defending the common good of society.”

Source: vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20030731_homosexual-unions_en.html

Peace,
Ed
 
So many say, “You can’t legislate morality…” Really? It’s morally wrong to kill, steal, assault. If we subjectively define morality, why would we need those laws?
With the argument you put forth, you’re missing the fundamental difference between the examples you have given and the issue of marriage equality. You ask if it is morally wrong to kill, steal, and assault. The answer is - yes - of course it is wrong - since you are violating the rights of another. But with marriage equality, the fact that two gay people want to get married has no direct impact on you anyone else. By contrast, the rights of the gay couple are violated if they are not afforded the same benefits of marriage that others enjoy - filing joint tax returns, rights of inheritance, etc. No one is preventing you or anyone else from personally disapproving of marriage equality. But you need to realize that whether or not marriage equality is realized, there will always be gay people in society - they could be your neighbors, your co-workers, or relatives. They’re all God’s children.
 
No-fault divorce has been good for women because it saves them from abusive husbands.
Abortion has been good for women; it saves them from the financial and health burdens of unwanted pregnancy.
Contraception has been good for women for the same reasons. It also is good for modern marriages, as the cost of child-rearing is prohibitive, and money is the number one cause of divorces.
Fornication? Everyone has done it, if not actually, then in our minds. Sex is a normal urge. The Bible forbids it, but in real life, you gotta test drive the car to buy it.
Cohabitation? Some people need to live together to decide whether marriage is for them or not. Can we blame them?
Infidelity is evil, but most of it is due to people taking their spouses for granted. Gotta continue to work on the marriage 24/7.

I understand as a Catholic you are not comfortable with the above, but not everyone else is Catholic. It is inappropriate for a secular government to oppose these things on moral grounds alone.

We need to separate church and state. That brings freedom. Imposing Catholicism on the people is oppression. Hasn’t the Catholic Church learned from its history in Europe?
I think you make many false assertions to bolster an argument that has no foundation in morality or logic.

I think these are assertions that no believing Christian can possibly maintain and still be Christian, IMHO. 🤷

I have lived long enough to see the damage to society of most, if not all of the things you assert are a benefit to society, and you’re wrong about that. These things have damaged and coarsened society. These things have destroyed lives.

No fault divorce has made marriage disposable, and of no consequence. Easy to fall into and out of, and making a wreck of the lives all around it.

Birth control has created a society of sexual intercourse with no consequences (a child), so the result is that the act that should be reserved for marriage is now a sport. The result is STDs out of control, and the degradation of men and women as they copulate in meaningless and transient relationships, if they even have relationships. It has reduced sexual intercourse into mutual pleasuring that for all intents and purpose is a solitary event and not a true union. It has also had the effect that prostitution (male and female) a socially acceptable act.

I’m surprised you omitted pornography as a “freedom of speech” issue. Destructive to society.

Abortion extension of the idea of birth control due to the failure of birth control (life is seemingly irrepressible), except that the sex act has already produced its result; a child. A human being. So now, this is simply the elimination of that child. The devalues life to the basest level - human life is now disposal, consequences of sexual activity that are designed for one real purpose, procreation now turned on its head to be recreation. Once murder of a single human being is not only tolerated, but celebrated in a society, then it’s only a matter of time before mass murders begin. It’s the logical conclusion.

Adultery? Fornication? You call these things good or minimize them? Seriously? :eek:

What then of the Ten Commandments?
What then of the things that Jesus Himself told us about how we should act?
What then of the instruction of the Apostles?
What then on the instruction of the Church through the Ages?

My understanding of these issues is simply this, support of evil and things intrinsically evil is in itself and evil act. And to be silent about these issues is to give consent to evil. But that’s just me, I guess. I have a different perspective on it than you apparently do.

I could go further, but I suspect that what I have to say would be falling on deaf ears, so to speak. 🤷
 
So perhaps…all is going to plan? All is going as per the Master Plan–God’s plan?
Just as Judas was meant to do what he did and Jesus and God knew it was going to happen, but did not stop it.
So perhaps, we are all meant to accept how the prophesy is playing out here with this Supreme Court decision, and not stop it.
Nothing happens without God allowing it to happen, many have said.
This could be part of the big, divine plan…

.
The Divine plan is that man may be saved; however, this plan is one of love and love cannot be forced. We are created by God and so it is God in whom our purpose is found. Our purpose is to love God with all our heart, mind, body and soul. This is why we have been given an intellect and a will. The first so we may know because we cannot love what we do not know, and the second because when we know we must put our love into action and this requires suffering. You don’t suffer for those you don’t love. Yet as agents of free will we make the choice who or what we love and God does not force us to love Him. Rather He tells us what happens to our hearts and our souls when we do not love Him. He tells us what the consequences are of a being who is made to love but who does not love, Love itself; God. Such a being could only become a being that is anti-love; anti-Christ. A being that hides its face from Love as Caine tried to hide from God.

Furthermore, Judas wasn’t meant to sin, Judas was meant to be a saint like all of us. But, unfortunately Judas chose not to be a saint and God allowed this because God could not take back the gift He gave Judas - and all of us - which is the gift of free will, the gift to freely love but not without consequences. Yet Judas also shows another important lesson and that is no miracle, word, or warning can sway any soul that has chosen to be obstinate and put their love -which is owed to God- toward themselves or other created things. And just because God permitted Judas’ betrayal, which lead to his Passion and the Sacrifice on the Cross does not mean we should approve of Judas’ actions or be indifferent towards them. Yes God is the only one that can bring good from something bad, but this does not excuse the bad since if the bad was never chosen freely by us we would have never needed a Savior in the first place!

Likewise just because God can bring good from the evil the supreme court unleashed, a good which will be the sanctification of souls through much suffering at the hands of the very men who were given their positions of authority to uphold truth; does not mean we can excuse these peoples actions or be indifferent to them. Sin is never excusable. The Nation by this ruling and by abusing their authority, an authority which gave them no right to redefine what they did not create or institute, has said out right that they’re starting their own religion and that anyone who opposes its morals is an enemy of this new religion. When a Nation does this it is beyond the point of saving. America has signed it’s death warrant by waging war on what is God’s. This nation will crumble and fall, and all faith full Catholics need to start praying for the spirit of sacrifice, even to sacrifice legitimate things in order to be completely abandoned to the will of God, so when the Nation comes after them, these Catholics will be able to freely give up everything for the love of Almighty God.

God Bless
 
This has become more than about religious liberty. Catholics do everyone a grave disservice saying this is about religious liberty. No, this is about the Truth and about sin! Saying it’s about religious liberty is a weak foundation since you don’t distinguish between the True Religion and the false ones; no rather you put them on equal footings which is a contradiction to the Truth and to Charity.
 
This has become more than about religious liberty. Catholics do everyone a grave disservice saying this is about religious liberty. No, this is about the Truth and about sin! Saying it’s about religious liberty is a weak foundation since you don’t distinguish between the True Religion and the false ones; no rather you put them on equal footings which is a contradiction to the Truth and to Charity.
Certainly it is about more than religious liberty. But it is inevitably about religious liberty and will become more so, even as truth suffers.

In 2010 Cardinal George said this: “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”

Some time later at a press conference, speaking about the HHS mandate, he said this to a Chicago Tribune reporter: “The long-term effect is that the Catholic Church will be stripped of the institutions that are her instruments for public service. We will lose hospitals, we will lose universities. That’s not the country I was born in. … Something monumental is happening here.”

The quotes are taken from Fr. Z’s blog.

Sure it Is about more than religious liberty, but loss of religious liberty will be one of the first effects to be felt. The Church will become smaller; the administration will be happy about that.
 
So perhaps…all is going to plan? All is going as per the Master Plan–God’s plan?
Just as Judas was meant to do what he did and Jesus and God knew it was going to happen, but did not stop it.
So perhaps, we are all meant to accept how the prophesy is playing out here with this Supreme Court decision, and not stop it.
Nothing happens without God allowing it to happen, many have said.
This could be part of the big, divine plan…

.
Perhaps there is another factor in play than just “God’s plan”, and perhaps that is free will?

Free will to follow God’s will, or go against it?

Free will was given to angels and some fell. Free will was given to Man, and Man fell. That’s the condition that we are born into as children of Adam.

Isn’t to say “it’s all in God’s plan” and imply that we have no responsibility in it seems to ignore the idea of free will. The freedom to do good or to do evil.

There is evil in this world, and there are those that seek to bring people low, and lead their souls to destruction.

Seems like they are winning the battles lately too. 🤷
 
Since anyone can marry anyone else in the name of equality, I am going to submit that my rights as a single person are being violated because I am not being afforded the benefits of marriage that others enjoy. That’s discrimination. Shouldn’t the unmarried and married people be “equal” under the law? Why are ‘married’ people given special privilege by our government? How is that “fair”? :confused:
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by casey cates
So many say, “You can’t legislate morality…” Really? It’s morally wrong to kill, steal, assault. If we subjectively define morality, why would we need those laws?
With the argument you put forth, you’re missing the fundamental difference between the examples you have given and the issue of marriage equality. You ask if it is morally wrong to kill, steal, and assault. The answer is - yes - of course it is wrong - since you are violating the rights of another. But with marriage equality, the fact that two gay people want to get married has no direct impact on you anyone else. By contrast, the rights of the gay couple are violated if they are not afforded the same benefits of marriage that others enjoy - filing joint tax returns, rights of inheritance, etc. No one is preventing you or anyone else from personally disapproving of marriage equality. But you need to realize that whether or not marriage equality is realized, there will always be gay people in society - they could be your neighbors, your co-workers, or relatives. They’re all God’s children.

Actually, I would say the same of your argument. There have already been moral consequences that hurt others due to gay marriage. Society as a whole loses out when we re-define marriage to be anything we subjectively choose. Next would be polygamists, incestuous marriages, etc. Because with your belief in marriage “equality”, why would you “discriminate” against polygamist couples. They even have a word for that now “thruples.” Why couldn’t minors and adults marry. Couldn’t they argue that age is just a number and they truly love each other. Why would you deny them their “equality.” What about that fact that many children surrogated for gay couples will not have the benefit of knowing their biological mothers/fathers much like many surrogates for straight. Then what happens in divorce court? There’s already been an issue where a gay couple splits up and all three (each gay dad and the surrogate mom (I think, it could’ve been another ex-lover that lived with the child) want custody of the child. Wow! That won’t mess with a kid’s head. They say that the effect from divorce is similar to that of one of the parents dying. What will this do?

Yes. I know that there will always be gay people in society. My issue is not with gay people. My issue is with the re-definition of marriage and the denigration of society, slowly but surely, in which I believe SSM is in part to blame. Not saying that heterosexuals are exempt. Divorce and living together with children born out of wedlock will also suffer ill effects and these too contribute to society’s ills. Frankly, I’m not sure why gay people even want to get married seeing that the majority of heterosexuals who have enjoyed the institution for centuries, seem lately to have all but rejected it. Nonetheless, sexual sins have consequences, not only for those who engage in it but society as a whole when that society endorses it. God designed man and woman to come together and create life. That bond from that commitment is called marriage. It was not designed for two men or two women because their bodies are not complementary and will never be able to do what a marriage is designed for - To bring life into the world and raise children in the security of knowing they have a mom & dad who love them. That is the ideal and design of marriage. That is its design purpose.
 
I think you make many false assertions to bolster an argument that has no foundation in morality or logic.

I think these are assertions that no believing Christian can possibly maintain and still be Christian, IMHO. 🤷

I have lived long enough to see the damage to society of most, if not all of the things you assert are a benefit to society, and you’re wrong about that. These things have damaged and coarsened society. These things have destroyed lives.

No fault divorce has made marriage disposable, and of no consequence. Easy to fall into and out of, and making a wreck of the lives all around it.

Birth control has created a society of sexual intercourse with no consequences (a child), so the result is that the act that should be reserved for marriage is now a sport. The result is STDs out of control, and the degradation of men and women as they copulate in meaningless and transient relationships, if they even have relationships. It has reduced sexual intercourse into mutual pleasuring that for all intents and purpose is a solitary event and not a true union. It has also had the effect that prostitution (male and female) a socially acceptable act.

I’m surprised you omitted pornography as a “freedom of speech” issue. Destructive to society.

Abortion extension of the idea of birth control due to the failure of birth control (life is seemingly irrepressible), except that the sex act has already produced its result; a child. A human being. So now, this is simply the elimination of that child. The devalues life to the basest level - human life is now disposal, consequences of sexual activity that are designed for one real purpose, procreation now turned on its head to be recreation. Once murder of a single human being is not only tolerated, but celebrated in a society, then it’s only a matter of time before mass murders begin. It’s the logical conclusion.

Adultery? Fornication? You call these things good or minimize them? Seriously? :eek:

What then of the Ten Commandments?
What then of the things that Jesus Himself told us about how we should act?
What then of the instruction of the Apostles?
What then on the instruction of the Church through the Ages?

My understanding of these issues is simply this, support of evil and things intrinsically evil is in itself and evil act. And to be silent about these issues is to give consent to evil. But that’s just me, I guess. I have a different perspective on it than you apparently do.

I could go further, but I suspect that what I have to say would be falling on deaf ears, so to speak. 🤷
You are exactly right. Over the last 40 years, dissidents inside and outside the Church planned the step by step destruction of the natural family and are trying to replace it with a lie. The media, gradually, slowly, turned its spotlight from the good, wholesome and decent and gave us the filth we have today. It took decades of conditioning but a lie repeated often enough can fool some. But the Church is not fooled. And there are faithful Catholics out there.

The Bible tells us clearly that while we remain sinners but repentant, we are to warn others.

biblehub.com/ezekiel/33-8.htm

Peace,
Ed
 
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